Sabiha Basrai (center) talks politics with a man from Egypt during the Hajj pilgrimage. "He was excited that I was from Oakland," Sabiha says. "The Occupy Oakland movement was going strong."

Coming of age as a Muslim woman in post 9/11 America, I have struggled with defining my own faith and explaining it to others in this climate of Islamophobia. I have tried to find my political voice and my spiritual center while dealing with the dual identities of the American Muslim experience.

In November 2011, I went on the Hajj pilgrimage with my parents. I spent 28 days in Saudi Arabia walking through the desert with three million Muslims from around the world. The whole experience made me believe in people’s ability to be incredibly generous and compassionate. We all shared space without distinctions of race, class, or gender. I was kissed by an old Iranian woman, I talked politics with an Egyptian man who was excited about the Occupy Movement, I shared food with a couple from Morocco, and I talked about hijab bans with a woman from Switzerland. I saw Turkish women with incredible facial tattoos, Nigerians with patterns of scars across their cheeks, and Afghan men with their beards died bright red with henna. We all stood on the plains of Arafat together and reflected on our regrets and all our hopes for the future.

I came back to America with a renewed sense of faith and a new understanding of myself as part of a vibrant and diverse global community.

Sabiha Basrai is an activist and graphic designer. She is co-owner of Design Action Collective based in Oakland, CA. www.designaction.org.

7 Responses to “Photo Essay: 28 Days with 3 Million Muslims on the Hajj Pilgrimage”

Beautiful pictures, deeply felt feelings, thank you Sabiha. But I cannot understand – together with many of my non-muslim friends – how come the bulk of these good faith Hajj pilgrims do not distanciate themselves loud and publicly from extremists, islamists, Talibans, etc. who demand to impose their views on the world, and who wish for instance to impose sharia rule on non-muslim others, like in Nigeria, or to prevent all women to have a dignified, lawful life in public, like in Afghanistan? Or are these extreme demands actually the fundamentals of Islam? As long as this is not made clear by a majority of Muslims, Islam will continue to evoke fear and distrust in the West.

Thank you for sharing these precious photos…as one who is not yet a Hajji, they evoke a real sense of ‘being there ” for which i am grateful…noit to mention, these pictures are quite well done artistically and thematically.

For those who see Islam as a monolith; who ascribe cultural expressions and evolutions as “religious” rather than tribal customs and mores; who ascribe to all muslims the most abhorrant motivations and views that people hostile to us in a climate which intentionally distorts our faith and the tenants of our faith practice can ;possibly come up with…i say shame on you arrogant self-righteous hate mongers.

You are by your ignorance and bigotry supporting the blanket condemnation of one of the world’s great faiths, and directly contributing to an environment globally that is already producing pogroms.

The cultural chauvinism of the supposedly liberal supposed pacifists is uglier than the growth pains of the most backwater tribal cultures … and their reaction to the imposition of Western hypocricy and hideous materialistic objectification and hypersexualixed, anorexic, cutting, alcohol and drug dependent destruction of girl children is worse by far than the worst excesses of the few and the fatuous Taliban dogmatists.

You know, yo narrative us a critique about how the Muslim world is view as a monolith and then yo attack western culture as a moonlit. IU am sure that yo realize that western culture is diverse as well. And i have to say, it is plain ugly what yo wrote, full of anger and resentment. If yo rally do not like western culture, I am sure yo can find your way to live as a good Muslin in Saudi or Iran. I am not saying this because i want you out of the US, I just have the impression that you do not feel comfortable with a flawed but open society

Now regarding your concerns, we as Jews are asks dot condemn extremists in our own worldwide community. Most mainstream Jews, without being prompted, do condemn these extremists. What I notice i you is yo refrain form doing that with the Muslim world. Your reaction is to become defensive, as if the whole muslim world is being victimized. So, I ask you as a Muslim to do what want us to do.

But based on your response, yo are just as intolerant as you accuse others of being,. I am sure you cold have done a better job with your response.

The facts that i shared above may be unpalatable, the way i shared them is of course as any response , open to criticism. Nonetheless, i stand by my response.

There has been a very dirty propaganda war against Islam since post Persian Gulf War, when American converts soared and Islam became the religion in the United States with the largest number of converts.

Our nation’s military radical Christian hegemony ( well-documented by Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation) and many ignoramuses (ignorami? ignorama?) and the proselytizing sects of Christianity who count souls like scalps have been working to demonize Islam and marginalize Muslims ever since.

The propaganda war, helped by leftist media that has a history of discomfort and credulity about any religion, and by right wing reactionaries happy to have a culture war, has fueled a global phenomenon of bigotry and bias, and in the past few years, violent criminal acts, against Muslim homes and houses of worship.

Strangely, this was briefly interrupted following 9/11 when interfaith understanding was all too briefly promulgated by individuals of conscience, from Jews in NYC who offered to walk to Friday prayers with Muslims, and with a whole lot of soul searching seminars and out- pouring of fraternal and sororal love.

In any case that horse has left the barn, daily i receive notices of national acts of violence and outright government deception and institutionalized civil rights violations against Muslims. this is often called a “security” defense for Americans, to demonize, spy on, track as if criminal fodder, Muslims who are mainstream, ordinary, citizens.

A great irony is that organized crime grows like wildfire across our nation, polluting lives with violence, the scourge of drug addiction slavery and violence against women and children that accompanies it; boys are being brought up to be hard hearted cold monsters who are taught to trick out girl children by sexually assaulting them and then rapping about it… etc.

We have engendered a culture of violence that is directly related to our hypocrisy and pointing the fingers at others who are not the enemy–the enemy is our own greed and social darwinism.

Muslim condemnation of terrorism is universal , continuous, and swift and gets no press whatever, Because rich, well-insulated, spoiled rotten plutocratic leftists and righties alike gain traction from blaming others and eradicating any responsibility from themselves for a host of problems in this world we need everyone to solve and a little more self-analysis and awareness and HONESTY please.

Christians do not apologize for the actions of KKK, WAR and other white “religious” supremacists and serial killers who claim to be inspired by their religion
why in hell should we apologize for the lunatic fringe in Islam? if anyone knew the difference between a Sufi and a fan of the dreadful Qtubs, perhaps I wouldn’t have to read daily about the recent firebombing while 60 worshippers were within, at a prayer center (Al Khoei) in Queens where, although a Sunni, i worshipped for several years …and a myriad of daily such attacks around the nation–reported only it seems, by muslim news sourcesDear Don,

The facts that i shared above may be unpalatable, the way i shared them is of course as any response , open to criticism. Nonetheless, i stand by my response.

There has been a very dirty propaganda war against Islam since post Persian Gulf war, when American converts soared and Islam became the religion in the United States with the largest number of converts.

Our nation’s military radical Christian hegemony ( well-documented by Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation) and many many ignoramuses (ignorami? ignorama?) and the prosletyzing sects of Christianity who count souls like scalps have been working to demonize islam and marginalize muslims ever since.

The propaganda war, helped by leftist media that has a history of discomfort and credulity about any religion, and by right wing reactionaries happy to have a culture war, has fueled a global phenomenon of bigotry and bias, and in the past few years, violent criminal acts, against muslim homes and houses of worship.

Strangely, this was briefly interrupted following 9/11 when interfaith understanding was all too briefly promulgated by individuals of conscience, from Jews in NYC who offered to walk to Friday prayers with muslims, and with a whole lot of soul searching seminars and out pourings of fraternal and sororal love.

In any case that horse has left the barn, daily i receive notices of national acts of violence and outright government deception and institutionalized civil rights violations against muslims. this is often called a “security” defense for Americans, to demonize, spy on, track as if criminal foddder, muslims who are mainstream, ordinary, citizens.

A great irony is that organized crime grows like wildfire across our nation, polluting lives with violenc, the scourge of drug addiction slavery and violence aginst women and children that acoompanies it; boys are being brought up to be hard hearted cold monsters who are taught to trick out girl children by sexually assaulting them and then rapping about it…etc etc.

We have engendered a culture of violence that is directly related to our hypocrisy and pointing the fingers at others who are not the enemy–the enemy is our own greed and social darwinism.

Muslim condemnation of terrorism is universal , continuous, and swift and gets no press whatever, Because rich, well-insulated, spoiled rotten plutocratic leftists and righties alike gain traction from blaming others and eradicating any responsibility from themselves for a host of problems in this world we need everyone to solve and a little more self-analysis and awareness and HONESTY please.

Christians do not apologize for the actions of KKK, WAR and other white “religious” supremacists and seriel killers who claim to be inspired by their religion
why in hell should we apologize for the lunatic fringe in Islam? if anyone knew the difference between a Sufi and a fan of the dreadful Qtubs, perhaps I wouldn’t have to read daily about the recent firebombing while 60 worshippers were within, at a prayer center (Al Khoei) in Queens where, although a Sunni, i worshipped for several years …and a myriad of daily such attacks around the nation–reported only it seems, by Muslim news sources and local regional back page news.

i worshipped for some years at the Broadway Mosque of Imam Feisal Rauf, as well…and what I have read about him from the most awfully hate fueled sources is almost libelous. he is a gentle and compassionate and thoroughly good human being; evolved to a level of decency to which many in many religions aspire and few reach…yet so many lies and such hostility to greet a muslim peace maker Sufi leader…

i have many news links. i will be glad to post a few if asked on any thing here mentioned.
and finally, here is an example from today’s guardian about what a great job we are doing in the west with our young men and women..

i worshipped for some years at the Broadway Mosque of Imam Feisal Rauf, as well…and what I have read about him from the most awfully hate fueled sources is almost libelous. he is a gentle and compassionate and thoroughly good human being; evolved to a level of decency to which many in many religions aspire and few reach…yet so many lies and such hostility to greet a Muslim peace maker Sufi leader…

i have many news links. i will be glad to post a few if asked.
Finally, here is an example from today’s guardian about what a great job we are doing in the west with our young men and women..

so sorry with my learning disability i worked hard to make this clear and goofed up copying it. here is the actual post as it should be.

Dear Don,

The facts that i shared above may be unpalatable, the way i shared them is of course as any response , open to criticism. Nonetheless, i stand by my response.

There has been a very dirty propaganda war against Islam since post Persian Gulf War, when American converts soared and Islam became the religion in the United States with the largest number of converts.

Our nation’s military radical Christian hegemony ( well-documented by Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation) and many ignoramuses (ignorami? ignorama?) and the proselytizing sects of Christianity who count souls like scalps have been working to demonize Islam and marginalize Muslims ever since.

The propaganda war, helped by leftist media that has a history of discomfort and credulity about any religion, and by right wing reactionaries happy to have a culture war, has fueled a global phenomenon of bigotry and bias, and in the past few years, violent criminal acts, against Muslim homes and houses of worship.

Strangely, this was briefly interrupted following 9/11 when interfaith understanding was all too briefly promulgated by individuals of conscience, from Jews in NYC who offered to walk to Friday prayers with Muslims, and with a whole lot of soul searching seminars and out- pouring of fraternal and sororal love.

In any case that horse has left the barn, daily i receive notices of national acts of violence and outright government deception and institutionalized civil rights violations against Muslims. this is often called a “security” defense for Americans, to demonize, spy on, track as if criminal fodder, Muslims who are mainstream, ordinary, citizens.

A great irony is that organized crime grows like wildfire across our nation, polluting lives with violence, the scourge of drug addiction slavery and violence against women and children that accompanies it; boys are being brought up to be hard hearted cold monsters who are taught to trick out girl children by sexually assaulting them and then rapping about it… etc.

We have engendered a culture of violence that is directly related to our hypocrisy and pointing the fingers at others who are not the enemy–the enemy is our own greed and social darwinism.

Muslim condemnation of terrorism is universal , continuous, and swift and gets no press whatever, Because rich, well-insulated, spoiled rotten plutocratic leftists and righties alike gain traction from blaming others and eradicating any responsibility from themselves for a host of problems in this world we need everyone to solve and a little more self-analysis and awareness and HONESTY please.

Christians do not apologize for the actions of KKK, WAR and other white “religious” supremacists and serial killers who claim to be inspired by their religion
why in hell should we apologize for the lunatic fringe in Islam? if anyone knew the difference between a Sufi and a fan of the dreadful Qtubs, perhaps I wouldn’t have to read daily about the recent firebombing while 60 worshippers were within, at a prayer center (Al Khoei) in Queens where, although a Sunni, i worshipped for several years …and a myriad of daily such attacks around the nation–reported only it seems, by muslim news sources

i worshipped for some years at the Broadway Mosque of Imam Feisal Rauf, as well…and what I have read about him from the most awfully hate fueled sources is almost libelous. he is a gentle and compassionate and thoroughly good human being; evolved to a level of decency to which many in many religions aspire and few reach…yet so many lies and such hostility to greet a muslim peace maker Sufi leader…

i have many news links. i will be glad to post a few if asked
Finally, here is an example from today’s guardian about what a great job we are doing in the west with our young men and women..

I really pity you Aminah. The US and western society may be deeply flawed, but is is no more flawed that other societies. Woman have no civi rights in Saudi and can face being stoned to death in Iran. The one thing western culture has is civil liberties which include the rigt to religious freedom. Woman also have at the choice of dressing to support religious observance or not. Muslim woman are not required by star law to wear a burkha like in Iran to Saudi.

That said, I work in the center of my very diverse city and every day I see Muslim woman covered completely. No one pays them any mind. In other words, they’re not harassed or oppressed. There are many mosques in my city and not one has been touched. if there is an attack on any place of worship, it is widely condemned. I am not saying that negative feelings about American Muslims don’t exist, but that could be easily said about feeling about Jews in America as well.

If you really feel uncomfortable living in a Western society, perhaps a predominantly Islamic society would be more appropriate for you. You sound Islamic-centric and that is intolerant as any Christian fundamentalist or ultra Orthodox Jews.

Just remember one thing, no one religion is perfect. As human beings we are all flawed.